Onam is the biggest and the most important festival of the state of Kerala. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm all over the state by people of all communities. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam.

Onam is celebrated in the beginning of the month of Chingam, the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kollavarsham). This corresponds with the month of August-September according to Gregorian Calendar.

Carnival of Onam lasts from four to ten days. First day, Atham and tenth day, Thiruonam are most important of all. Popularity and presentation of rich culture of the state during the carnival made Onam the National Festival of Kerala in 1961. Elaborate feasts, folk songs, elegant dances, energetic games, elephants, boats and flowers all are a part of the dynamic festival called Onam.

Ganesha Aarti

Lord Ganesh, who is known to us by various other names like Ganapathi, Vinayaka or Vigneshwara is the God who helps us in overcoming all the obstacles of life? He is the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. He is the elephant headed God who is worshipped as the very first deity before beginning any ceremony. Worshipping him endows the man with courage and confidence needed for any endeavor. Every project is started with the worship of this God.

Below is given lord Ganesh’s Aarthi.

Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva
Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva.
Ek dant dayavant, char bhuja dhari
Mathe sindur sohai, muse ki savari, Jai
Ganesh…
Andhan ko ankh det, kodhin ko kaya
Banjhan ko putra det, nirdhan ko maya, Jai
Ganesh….
Pan chadhe, phul chadhe, aur chadhe meva
Ladduan ka bhog lage, saht kare seva, ,Jai
Ganesh….
Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh, Jai Ganesh deva,
Mata jaki Parvati, Pita Mahadeva

Translation
Salutations to you , O Lord Ganesha, born of Parvati, the daughter of the Mountain King, Himalaya, and the great Lord Shiva. O Lord of compassion, you have a single tusk, four arms, a bright mark of vermilion on your forehead, and for conveyance the mouse. Glory, glory, all glory to you O Lord Ganesha You bestow vision on the blind, chastened bodies on the leprous, sons on barren women and wealth on the impecunious. Glory, glory, all glory to you O Lord Ganesha People offer you betel leaves, blossoms, dry fruits and laddus, while throngs of saints and seers attend you. Glory, glory, all glory to you O Lord Ganesha.

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the birthday of Lord Ganesh (Ganesha), the god of wisdom and prosperity on the fourth day of the moons bright fortnight, or period from new moon in the lunar month of Bhadrapada. The celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi continue for five, seven, or ten days. Some even stretch it to twenty one days, but ten the most popularly celebrated. In the tradition of the right hand path the first day is the most important. In the left hand path tradition the final day is most important.

Ganesha is the god of wisdom and prosperity and is invoked before the beginning of any auspicious work by the Hindus. It is believed that for the fulfillment of one’s desires, his blessing is absolutely necessary. According to the mythology, he is the son of Shiva and Parvati, brother of Kartikeya – the general of the gods, Lakshmi – the goddess of wealth and Saraswati-the goddess of learning. There are numerous stories in Hindu mythology, associated with the birth of this elephant-headed god, whose vehicle is the Mooshak or rat and who loves Modaks (droplet shaped Indian sweet).

Legend has it that Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood dough that she used for her bath and breathed life into him. Letting him stand guard at the door she went to have her bath. When her husband, Shiva returned, the child who had never seen him stopped him. Shiva severed the head of the child and entered his house. Parvati, learning that her son was dead, was distraught and asked Shiva to revive him. Shiva cut off the head of an elephant and fixed it on the body of Ganesha.

Navroj is the first day of the first month of the Zoroastrian year.

Struggle for good against Evil With Humata (good thoughts), Hukta (good words) and Havarshta (good deeds).

Thus spoke Zoroaster, the great prophet of Iran to his followers who in India are known by the name of Parsi.

“There is but one path, the path of ASHA. All other paths are false paths” – YASNA

This quotation from Yasna sums up the teachings of Prophet Zoroaster. Asha is a path of action – good thoughts, good words and good deeds – with emphasis on service to the suffering humanity. Every living being according to this religion is believed to posses the eternal principle of FRAVASHI.

Zoroastrian is monotheistic in its higher ideology having AHURA MAZDA as its Supreme Deity and AHRIMAN as a lesser power of evil, which continually retards the smooth progress of good-universe is conceived as a battlefield between Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. In this confrontation, Ahura Mazda will ultimately defeat Ahriman.

In the Zoroastrian religion, the theory of Re-incarnation does not exist FIRE is looked upon as a visible symbol of godhead and it is believed that the Sacred Fire was brought to earth from heaven by the prophet himself. In Zoroastrian temples that are known as Fire temples, fire is kept burning all the time. These temples are tended by Priests called Jozdalhregavs.